Over 576 hectares of forest land in Jammu Kashmir have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes, including infrastructure and commercial projects, between 2021-22 and 2023-24, according to government data.
The figures were released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in response to a query in the Lok Sabha.
The Ministry said that the diversion of forest land is carried out under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, which permits such approvals with specific mitigation measures, including Compensatory Afforestation (CA), payment of Net Present Value (NPV), and other conservation efforts.
It also said that the diversion of forest land is allowed only with strict environmental safeguards, including soil and moisture conservation, wildlife management plans, and catchment area treatment.
Also, the PARIVESH online portal has been launched to monitor and process proposals for forest land diversion transparently. —(KNO)
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